The NBC, ABC, and CBS morning shows on Monday all touted President Obama seemingly calling for more gun control during a Sunday night vigil for the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting. NBC's Today provided the most hype as correspondent Lester Holt proclaimed: "While he offered words of comfort, he also laid down a political gauntlet....sketching the outlines of what amounted to a policy statement on gun violence."

Holt acknowledged: "He did not utter the words 'gun control,' but his message could set the stage for such a debate." Speaking to co-host Savannah Guthrie later on the broadcast, Holt observed: "He didn't talk specifics, Savannah. But you got the sense that he was laying down a political gauntlet, saying perhaps it's time now to look at this issue of gun violence from all perspectives, political risks laid to the side." Guthrie replied: "Well, we'll see what happens when lawmakers get started in January with the new term."

Good Morning America was more subtle in it's coverage of the President's remarks on the shooting, but news reader Josh Elliott did convey: "President Obama was not specific about what he'll do to prevent similar tragedies. But political insiders predict tightened gun control will be a major priority in his second term." Co-host George Stephanopoulos declared it to be: "A bracing call to action from President Obama right there."

On CBS This Morning, correspondent Jeff Glor noted that Obama "spoke as a weary leader," explaining moments later: "I think a lot of us were surprised by the call for change, and we were talking about this. I think it's certainly very possible that at this point it becomes an unexpected priority now in his second term."

Later on the show, Glor further remarked: "...remember the President did not talk about the gun control issue at all on the campaign trail and now he is." Co-host Gayle King replied: "I'm hearing in the town last night they were saying they hope that the President will now speak up and that he will use the bully pulpit and lead to some change." Glor observed: "The President did not address the issue after Aurora happened in July." Co-host Norah O'Donnell added: "Or in Tucson after Gabby Giffords."

During a report on gun control during the CBS morning show, White House correspondent Bill Plante pushed the President from the left on gun control: "President Obama said last night he would use all the power of his office to prevent a repeat of the tragedies like the Newtown massacre. The President supports renewing the ban on assault weapons, but he ignored the gun control issue in his first term. And when he ran for president in 2008, he tried to reassure gun owners.

Here is a transcript of Holt's December 17 Today report:

7:01AM ET TEASE:

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: The President wrote these remarks himself and I can tell you it contained a more forceful call to action than even some close aides had expected.

7:03AM ET SEGMENT:

GUTHRIE: NBC's Lester Holt is here with more on that. Lester, good morning to you.

LESTER HOLT: Savannah, good morning. A tough weekend, the community needed the President to come here. He met with the first responders, the families. But the speech he delivered is not the one that many people expected. For while he offered words of comfort, he also laid down a political gauntlet. For the fourth time since taking office, President Obama stood before a community shattered by mass murder to offer words of comfort.

BARACK OBAMA: I can only hope it helps for you to know that you're not alone in your grief.

HOLT: The President called last Friday the worst day of his presidency. And this time he came with more than words of consolation. The President, sketching the outlines of what amounted to a policy statement on gun violence.

OBAMA: Can we honestly say that we're doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm? I've been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we're honest with ourselves, the answer is no. In the coming weeks, I'll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. Because what choice do we have?

HOLT: He did not utter the words "gun control," but his message could set the stage for such a debate.

OBAMA: Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage? That the politics are too hard?

Who was it who said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”? Obozo interrupted the Sunday night football game so that he could “LECTURE” Americans on gun control. He didn’t state it thusly, but we all know where he is going. This ride is about to become very bumpy!

5
posted on 12/17/2012 9:37:32 AM PST
by SoldierDad
(Proud dad of an Army Soldier who has survived 24 months of Combat deployment.)

Adam Lanzas actions will prove that [getting more and more] gun control laws and the guns out of the hands of citizens is hopeless [if you let this serious crisis go to waste.] And what I mean by that [everyone of these mass killings is] an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before. Rahm Emanuel. Theres just a few more needed the way things look now.

12
posted on 12/17/2012 9:43:48 AM PST
by WilliamofCarmichael
(If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)

These idiots seek the fame, attention or immortality the media will give them. That is the main reason. Can anyone tell me that the media has to keep blasting this creep’s picture and name all over ? or that they have to cover every detail of its life? NO. In fact the media have to know that just mentioning its name will give it the fame that it seeks and will cause other copy cats. But they know what they are doing . The media want to empower government and take away our individual rights including our right to protect ourselves with guns.

May I assume that after all our guns are collected, the anti-gun crowd will come after our knives (including kitchen and tableware), automobiles, bathtubs, swimming pools, airplanes, balloons, prescription drugs, and summer vacations. All these kill innocents.

Maybe it is time to confront these perpetually hysterical “activists” with the facts that: (1) You cannot make life totally safe, and (2) Crazy people should be locked up.

Me too. I’m so angry at these marxist SOBs that are taking away our individual rights and freedoms I’m ready for CW2. I’d rather these monsters come at me with force than to enslave us like they are doing with this stupid brainwashing by the media etc.

I say we throw the political gauntlet down right back at them and change defamation laws so that every Jim Holmes (”who’s a member of the Tea Party, by the way”) and “Ryan” Lanza out there can easily recover hundreds of millions in lawsuits whenever innocent people are smeared by the MSM.

26
posted on 12/17/2012 9:55:51 AM PST
by Qbert
("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)

I figure since he has thrown down the ‘gauntlet’, he should be the first to mavigate it by giving up all secret service protection and walking his own gauntlet unarmed and putting his own children in a DC school with regular ‘folks’.

Root cause analysis should demonstrate that guns aren’t the problem here, they’re simply the tools being used to bring the problem to fruition.

If the Republicans are smart they’ll use their control of the House to hold hearings to conducts thorough root cause analysis. Which will expose the cynical attempt to exploit tragedies like this for what they are.

The lesson of the Sandy Hook massacre is that the government cannot protect you or your family. The government cannot be your last line of defense.

Those kids were murdered in government custody, behind a security wall, in a gun free zone, in the 4th most gun-regulated State. Those kids had all the protection gun control could give ... and they were massacred by one scrawny 20-year-old punk.

Gun control failed those kids. Don’t let the government take away the means for you to protect yourself because of their failure.

SnakeDoc

39
posted on 12/17/2012 10:22:25 AM PST
by SnakeDoctor
(Texas survived one Obama term, and we'll survive another. The rest of you are screwed.)

considering guns have been around for ages, the media almost as long,, it would certainly seem the media can not deny that it has profited by reporting the violence it ‘unwittingly’ also perpetuates.. and when celluloid hit the reel,, how many thousands of movies have served as the canvasses for the depiction of death and destruction wrought thru firearms alone, who profited and still continues to every hour of every broadcast day.. who is surprised today’s talking heads do the same? and they say the NRA is scaling back its presence on FascistBook .. smack a person upside the head with a 2by4 long enough.. they’ll ban them too.

For the past 4 years, given the stats for ammo and gun sales, I’d say that the general population has prepared itself for Obama’s gambit re: gun control/confiscation. No matter the emotions of the present run amok, Obama’s efforts will run into a buzz saw.

With Obama, rape victims are urged to disarm, bare it all and go back to that dark street... where of course OBama’s friends are and will be listening to him and be good now so long she is disarmed. (sarc off)

49
posted on 12/17/2012 10:45:36 AM PST
by JudgemAll
(Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)

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